Project Grant R01DK146119

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases awarded Duke University $790,119 on August 26, 2026, under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847) to investigate how memory formation in adipose tissue influences metabolic outcomes in obesity.

The project, titled "Establishing Memory in Adipose Tissue Influences Future Metabolic Outcomes in Obesity," examines the mechanisms that drive divergent remodeling of white adipose tissue during obesity, with particular focus on adaptive versus maladaptive tissue remodeling and their influence on weight-loss therapy response. The research builds on preliminary findings showing that short-term pharmacological or physiological stimulation induces adaptive remodeling that leaves behind a persistent pool of metabolically flexible adipocytes. When challenged later with a high-fat diet, mice with these "trained" adipocytes remain protected from maladaptive visceral adipose tissue remodeling and insulin resistance. The project aims to leverage these legacy effects as an experimental tool to define the physiological benefits and molecular determinants of healthy adipose remodeling in obesity.

Work is performed in Durham, North Carolina, with a period of performance from the award date through June 30, 2030. This is a project grant assistance type supporting basic and clinical biomedical research to improve understanding of disease mechanisms and advance prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diabetes, digestive, and kidney diseases.